A Brief Introduction to Hinduism

by Timothy Dowley (Editor)

Overview

This brief introduction to Hinduism is designed to help readers understand this important religious tradition. With both nuance and balance, this text provides broad coverage of various forms of Hinduism in an arresting layout with rich colors. It offers both historical overviews and modern perspectives on Hindu beliefs and practices. The user-friendly content is enhanced by charts of religious festivals, historic timelines, maps, and a useful glossary. It is ideal for courses on Hinduism and South Asian religions and will be a useful, concise reference for all readers eager to know more about this important religious tradition and its place in our contemporary world. Features Of This Volume, Single-column design and four-color layout, Maps, images, and historical timelines, Detailed glossary and index, Study questions and reading lists

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781506450346
Publisher:	Augsburg Fortress, Publishers
Publication date:	10/01/2018
Series:	Brief Introductions to World Religions
Pages:	104
Product dimensions:	7.30(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.30(d)

About the Author

Christopher Partridge is professor of religion at Lancaster University.Tim Dowley is a historian and prolific author and editor of Bible and theology resources. He is the author of The Student Bible Atlas (Fortress Press, 2015), Christian Music: A Global History (Fortress Press, 2011), and The Christians: An Illustrated History (2007) and editor of The Atlas of Christian History (Fortress Press, 2016) and The Atlas of the European Reformations (Fortress Press, 2015), among many other titles.

Table of Contents

Contributors 7

List of Maps 8

List of Time Charts 8

List of Festival Charts 8

List of Illustrations 9

Preface 10

Part 1 Understanding Religion

1 What Is Religion? 12

2 Phenomenology and the Study of Religion 15

3 The Anthropology of Religion 21

Myths and Symbols 24

4 The Sociology of Religion 26

5 The Psychology of Religion 31

6 Theological Approaches to the Study of Religion 34

7 Critical Theory and Religion 38

8 Ritual and Performance 42

Part 2 Hinduism

9 A Historical Overview 52

10 Philosophy 59

11 Sacred Writings 63

12 Beliefs 67

13 Worship and Festivals 75

14 Family and Society 81

I am a Hindu 82

15 Hinduism in the Modern World 85

Gallery 91

Rapid Fact-Finder 95

Index 102

Picture Acknowledgments 104